Chapter 2801

Li Gang smiled faintly. Regardless of the details, the matter was settled.

On the first day of the fourth lunar month, Yun Jian chartered a boat. The whole family, along with Li Gang and his servant, set off together.

The vessel was a standard passenger boat, not particularly large. Yun Xi simply took out a fishing rod and sat at the bow, beginning to fish.

"Can you catch fish with the boat moving like this?" Li Gang came over to join in the fun.

"You came over too," Yun Xi said with a smile.

"Seeing you pass the time this way, I came to pass some time as well." The water route from Mengyang to the Capital took half a month. Aside from finding their own amusement on board, there was little else to do.

"Is that Yun Wangzhi of Mengyang ahead?" One day, as they passed a dock and paused to rest, a soldier approached.

"I am indeed Yun Wangzhi of Mengyang," Yun Xi said, stepping out and bowing respectfully.

"Greetings, Scholar Yun. I am Luo Cheng, a seventh-rank officer of the Lie Family Army. I have been ordered to deliver a letter to you," Luo Cheng said, handing a letter to Yun Xi.

Yun Xi took the letter, smiling. "Is Brother Lie Xuan well?"

"The General is well. He heard from friends in the Capital that you became the top scholar. He is very happy, saying he did not choose the wrong brother," Luo Cheng laughed.

Yun Xi laughed too. "Brother Lie Xuan is giving me high praise again." He then asked, "When does Officer Luo plan to return? I would like to write a letter and ask you to deliver it to Brother Lie."

"Scholar, just write it. I will go nearby to eat some snacks and warm up. I will come back for the letter shortly," Luo Cheng said.

"Since we have met, it is fate. How could I let you eat alone? If Officer Luo does not mind, please come aboard. Although we do not have much, we have hot soup," Yun Xi said with a smile.

Although Yun Xi was young, he understood social etiquette. It would be stingy to refuse a meal to someone who had traveled far to deliver a message.

Luo Cheng scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed. "Is that okay?"

"Why not? My bond with Brother Lie is because we are sincere. You being so hesitant lacks a man’s openness," Yun Xi teased.

Luo Cheng hurriedly said, "Then I will not be polite. But my appetite is quite large."

"No problem," Yun Xi said. He did not mind the meal. Although the journey was only half a month, they had brought enough food for a month. Plus, they occasionally stopped at ports to buy supplies, so there was plenty for Luo Cheng.

Yun Xi handed Luo Cheng over to Yang Xue’en, instructing him to take the officer to the kitchen and introduce him to Mama Ma. Aunt Xu, who usually managed the kitchen, had stayed in Mengyang with Uncle Xu to manage their local business. Now, Mama Ma was in charge.

Yun Xi went to his cabin to read the letter and write a reply.

Lie Xuan’s letter mainly introduced the situation in the Capital and gave Yun Xi a token. If Yun Xi encountered any trouble in the Capital, he could use it to seek help.

Yun Xi appreciated Lie Xuan’s thoughtfulness and wrote back, telling him not to worry.

In truth, Yun Xi had not expected to get along so well with Lie Xuan.

After finishing the letter, Yun Xi waited for about the time it took to burn a stick of incense before coming out. By then, Luo Cheng had nearly finished eating.

Yun Xi said to Mama Ma, "Mama Ma, please prepare some steamed buns for Officer Luo so he can eat on the road. Also, fill his water container."

"Okay," Mama Ma said and went to prepare.

Yun Xi took out a package and a letter and handed them to Luo Cheng. "Officer Luo, please trouble yourself to deliver this letter and package to Brother Lie Xuan."

"Rest assured, Scholar Yun. I will complete the task," Luo Cheng said.

Yun Xi nodded slightly, then handed him a smaller package. "This is some dried meat and meat paste from Mengyang. Please take it to satisfy your cravings on the road."

"Then I will not be polite," Luo Cheng said. As a martial artist, he did not have many pretenses. Hearing the smaller package was for him, he did not refuse.

Yun Xi smiled and nodded. "Indeed, no need to be polite. Officer Luo, just eat. If you like it, I may have someone send you some in the future."

"That would be too embarrassing," Luo Cheng said with a honest smile.

"There is no embarrassment. Consider it your labor fee," Yun Xi replied.

Luo Cheng accepted it immediately. After Mama Ma brought the steamed buns, Luo Cheng bid farewell to Yun Xi, went ashore, and left.

Yun Xi’s passenger boat naturally set sail again.

On the following journey, Yun Xi did not encounter any further incidents. The canal was calm, with no storms or turbulence. Thus, they arrived smoothly in the Capital after about ten days.

"They say the people in the Capital are not to be underestimated. Brother, is it true?" Yun Xu asked curiously, looking at the bustling crowd.

Yun Xi also looked at the crowd. "They are not to be underestimated because the Capital is the center of power for our Great Ru. There are many officials here. It is possible that even a gatekeeper is a branch of a noble family or has some connections. That is why they say it. However, as long as we behave ourselves and do not randomly confront strangers, such troubles will be much less."

Yun Xu said, "Does that mean the people in the Capital are very domineering?"

"No," Yun Xi smiled. "Although there are many nobles in the Capital, their every move is monitored. Do you think the Censors are blind? As Censors, they observe everything and listen to everything every day. Therefore, unless the nobles are confident the Emperor will not pursue them, who dares to cause trouble? And those who are confident the Emperor will not pursue them are basically trusted by the Emperor, so they will restrain themselves."

"Wangzhi speaks with reason," Li Gang said with a smile. "In the Capital, the most important thing is that we restrain ourselves."

At this moment, Yun Jian came over. "Wangge, I have a lot of luggage. Do you think we should go ashore and stay in an inn directly, or what?"

Yun Xi pondered. "We still have three days left on our boat charter. Why don’t we let Mother and the others stay on the boat for now? I will take Brother Yang out to find a house. If we are lucky, we might find a suitable one. If not, Brother Yang and I can book an inn first, and then come back to pick up Father and Mother. What do you think?"

"Alright," Yun Jian nodded slightly. "We are strangers in the Capital. Let’s do as you say."

So, Yun Xi instructed Yang Xue’en to go out. Li Gang originally wanted to go too, but because he was still recovering from seasickness, Yun Xi told him to stay on the boat.

The Capital was a very prosperous place. Finding a house was easy, but finding a suitable one was not.

Yun Xi and Yang Xue’en thought it best to find a broker, as the housing sources would be more reliable.

However, brokers varied in quality. So, Yun Xi took Yang Xue’en to a nearby restaurant to eat and gather information.

Entering the restaurant, there were not many guests at this time, so the place was not busy. Yun Xi ordered three small dishes and two bowls of noodles, then asked the waiter about brokers.

"Are the two guests asking about brokers to buy people or to buy houses and land?" the waiter asked.

Yun Xi said, "We want to buy a house, preferably one with a courtyard." Yun Xi took out half a tael of silver and gave it to the waiter. "Does the waiter know which broker is more reliable?"

The waiter weighed the silver, put it away, and his face showed a sincere smile. "You have asked the right person for this information. There are four large brokerages in the Capital. But if you ask which is most reliable for buying houses, it is the Bo Family Brokerage in the East Market. It is said that the Bo Family’s backer is Grand Secretary Wang, so they do things honestly. If you want to buy people, land, or houses, going to the Bo Family Brokerage is the right choice."

Yun Xi gave the waiter another half tael of silver. "Thank you, waiter."

Having obtained the information he needed, Yun Xi did not stinginess with the silver. He said to Yang Xue’en, "Brother Yang, after we finish the noodles, let’s go to the East Market to look."

"Okay," Yang Xue’en nodded.

The master and servant quickly finished their meal and went out to the East Market.

The entire Capital was divided into four major districts: East, South, West, and North. Each district had a brokerage. Yun Xi and Yang Xue’en soon found the Bo Family Brokerage.

Upon hearing that Yun Xi wanted to buy a house, the manager of the Bo Family Brokerage took out some maps. "Does the guest have any requirements for the house?"

Yun Xi said, "Preferably an independent courtyard, with a small three-courtyard layout, and a skywell. Of course, the environment should be quiet. I will not hide it from you; I am a scholar coming for the imperial examination. I am bringing my family to settle in the Capital, so I must choose a house with sincerity."

"So the young master is a scholar?" The manager smiled. "My surname is Zhang. You may call me Manager Zhang, Scholar."

Manager Zhang was a worldly person. Although many scholars came to the Capital every three years, one never knew if a scholar would become a noble. As a businessman, he naturally did not want to offend such people. Moreover, he saw a noble aura on Yun Xi that others did not have. People with such an aura would definitely be dragons among men in the future.

"Manager Zhang, my surname is Yun," Yun Xi said with a slight smile. "My name is Xi, courtesy name Wangzhi. You may call me Wangzhi."

"Where, where. You are a scholar," Manager Zhang said politely.

"They say a friend is a friend wherever you are. Although I am young, I understand this principle. Seeing Manager Zhang, you must also be of scholarly origin. Why be so polite with me?" Yun Xi’s face was gentle, making people want to get closer.

Manager Zhang had once been a Xiucai (Licentiate). Hearing Yun Xi say this, he laughed. "In that case, I will call you Wangzhi. Actually, I was also a Xiucai in the past. However, my studies fell behind later, so I did not continue taking exams. Now that Wangzhi says this, I will be thick-skinned. From now on, Wangzhi may call me Brother Yezi. Yezi is my courtesy name. My surname is Zhang, and my full name is Jingtian."